Cooling Your PC with an Air Conditioner: A "Janky" Experiment

The Fanless GPU Challenge

• 💡 The video begins by showcasing a fanless ASRock Radeon 7900 XTX, which quickly thermal throttles, highlighting the need for effective cooling.
• 🎯 The core idea is to hook up a server-oriented, fanless desktop card to an air conditioner, creating an "AC PC" for a completely silent system.

Proof of Concept with DREO AC

• 🚀 A DREO AC 516S portable smart air conditioner (14,000 BTU) is used as the cooling source for the PC.
• 🛠️ Initial mockups involve foam board and ducting to direct cool air from the AC to the PC components, focusing on CPU and GPU.
• ⚠️ Early tests reveal challenges, including the AC unit not being designed to run sideways and potential airflow restrictions.

Refining the AC-PC Setup

• 🧠 A more refined approach uses 3D-scanned parts for a better seal and shrouds to direct air to the CPU and GPU.
• ⚙️ The AC's thermistor is bypassed to ensure continuous operation, though this risks condensation.
• 📈 Initial temperature readings show promising results, with CPU at 16°C and GPU at 33°C, though components weren't under load.

Testing and Results

• 📊 Under load, the GPU reached 70°C and the CPU 27°C, with a significant drop in clock speed (from ~2050 MHz to ~1500 MHz) when not using the AC ducting.
• ⚠️ A major concern is condensation forming on cold surfaces in a warm environment, requiring insulation for long-term deployment.
• ✅ The experiment shows that with improved baffling and insulation, CPU temperatures can be maintained between 11-14°C under load, with GPU temps improving significantly, reaching as low as 69°C.

Conclusion and Recommendations

• ✨ The experiment demonstrates the potential of using an air conditioner for PC cooling, especially for CPU temperatures, though GPU cooling requires more refinement.
• 💡 For home deployment, insulated ducting and potentially an accelerator fan are recommended to overcome static pressure losses and maintain efficiency.
• 👏 The video thanks DREO for sponsoring the experiment and providing their AC unit and a fan, with discount codes available.